Lowell panhandlng plan: Give instead to charities that can help

LOWELL -- The city may soon launch a campaign to reduce panhandling by encouraging people to donate to charities that help those in need instead of giving money to panhandlers directly.

The goal of the three-pronged plan is to reduce panhandling by reducing its profitability, while at the same time creating new revenue for charities, and working to link those in need with the charities that can help them.

UMass Lowell senior Ashley Hillson, an intern with the city's LowellSTAT program, presented the plan to the city's task force on panhandling at City Hall Tuesday night. It drew a warm reception.

"I think we could have really great success with this, and could be a role model for the commonwealth," said City Councilor Corey Belanger. "The message is not saying 'don't give,' it's saying 'lets give to the proper outlets to better help them.'"

The first prong of the plan is a public education campaign with the slogan "Use your change for change" that aims to get people to give to charity instead of panhandlers. The campaign would see signs placed in high-traffic areas where panhandling occurs.

It is that prong which seek to reduce panhandling by reducing it's profitability, as people become less likely to give panhandlers money.

Police Superintendent William Taylor noted that the campaign could also help save lives, since police surveys of panhandlers have found that a "significant percentage" of them are panhandling to feed drug habits.

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"I think we need to get that message out to the community at large, that maybe you may be doing more damage than you are good," Taylor said of those who give to panhandlers.

There have been 42 fatal drug overdoses in Lowell so far this year, he said.

The public awareness campaign is similar to one started in Fitchburg and Leominster earlier this year that has drawn positive reviews. Officials there said the number of panhandlers was significantly reduced just a month after the program started.

The second prong of the plan would see the city make it easier to donate to charities by either adding software to parking kiosks that would enable people do donate to charity via the kiosks as they park, or by adding recycled parking meters in high-traffic areas to accept donations.

Parking Director Nicholas Navin said the city has about 30 old parking meters that could be recycled for the effort, which has worked well in some California cities.

He said it also possible to add software to parking kiosks to accept donations, though he is still researching how much cost and effort would be required.

The second prong would also see a link added to the city's website to enable people to contribute to charities that serve the needy.

The third prong would see the city create a "continuum of care" website to help link those in need to agencies and charities that can help them.

"It's critical that we inform the public of the resources in our community," Hillson said.

Diane Wadell, executive director of Living Waters, a local agency advocating for the needy, expressed skepticism that the plan would get panhandlers to stop since many of them view panhandling as job. Wadell said some panhandlers use the proceeds for things like laundry and personal hygiene products that they can't get from charities.

She said helping panhandlers find jobs would be more effective, and mentioned that her organization has started a newspaper about homeless issues called "The Catalyst" that those in need can sell instead of panhandling.

The panhandling task force was created in April to address the issue, after a federal judge blocked the city's previous effort to make panhandling illegal. That judge ruled the city cannot restrict people from asking for money, limit where they panhandle or take other measures because of freedom-of-speech rights.

Murphy said there are still some ways for police to crack down on panhandlers when they get too aggressive -- for instance it is illegal to panhandle in the street between lanes of traffic. Murphy and Taylor agreed, though, that police cannot solve the problem.

"We're not going to enforce or arrest our way out of this," Taylor said.

Murphy said he plans to present the plan to the City Council on Sept. 13, and that work to begin the public awareness campaign would begin shortly afterward if the council approves.

The Lowell plan follows a similar campaign launched in June in Fitchburg and Leominster to reduce panhandling. Posters have been distributed in both cities that say "Don't contribute to the problem" and "Consider giving to a local charity that helps the homeless instead."

Officials, police and homeless advocates say the campaign has reduced the number of panhandlers in those cities.

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